Sir Purr
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- Mar 16, 2019
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While Rucker and Gross-Matos haven't spent much time together, Rucker did get to know Brown a bit during the pre-draft process. As a member of the NFL's Legends community, Rucker was at the NFL Combine in February to help mentor the league's incoming rookie class. The two even went to dinner one night as part of a small group that included Hall of Fame defensive end John Randle in Indianapolis.
"Obviously, those guys have been where I want to be," Brown said. "They've been where I am now, they've built to where they are now, and at the end of my career, that's where I hope to be. So I look up to them. It's something where I try to feed off of everything that they say and try to incorporate that into how I want to make my journey."
For his part, Rucker was impressed by Brown's curiosity and willingness to engage and listen.
"There's been times in the past you'll see a guy will be a top pick, and he's still going to be standoffish, and he's going do his thing. But Derrick was asking questions. He was engaging, he opened up, and he made himself vulnerable in those conversations," Rucker recalled. "If you're willing to ask questions and to learn and to add to your toolbox, that's gonna bode well for you."
As a fellow defensive lineman with both direct and indirect ties to Brown and Gross-Matos, Rucker is clearly looking forward to seeing how the duo develops. And, as always, he's willing to be a mentor and a resource to help them follow in the burgeoning tradition of strong Panthers' defensive linemen.
"You get good guys, and they're willing to pass that knowledge and be accessible to that next generation — to me, that's what it's about," Rucker said. "Everybody wins."